Brosa
(2)
An ominous feeling
crept in.
No, something bad was
definitely going to happen.
After all, most people
who got involved with Freesia ended up in ruins.
She is pure evil.
Getting involved with
her could only bring misfortune.
"Think of it as
just getting some fresh air. It'll be fun to be with me, Reed."
Like a fox wagging its
tail, she tried to tempt Reed.
[T/N: Fox wagging its
tail could imply she is cunning and playful at the same time]
Regardless of her
temptation, Reed was lost in his own thoughts.
'Cohen...'
There, the third
disaster, Adonis, resided.
What if Freesia was
involved in it?
What if it leads Adonis
to her ruin?
'...Am I being too
nosy?'
The seven disasters
Reed created.
Among them, there were
some that were purely evil, but there were also those who became monsters due
to injustice.
'I want to know more
about that.'
Villains are often
portrayed as evil, even in their backgrounds.
Most stories related to
Adonis Hupper were also malicious.
She was born with a lot
of greed.
She was arrogant.
She seduced people like
a fox and killed a noble's child.
That's why it was
justified for her to be dismissed and not eligible as a successor.
Even Morgan II, who
ascended the throne after Morgan Hupper's death, said so, but Reed couldn't shake
off the nagging feeling.
He made up his mind.
He would keep an eye on
Freesia's actions for a while, and if she tried to get him involved, he would
pull out.
After all, he knew the
true identity of Brosa.
If she tried to trap
him, he could counterattack by mentioning Black Sky Tower Master would suffice.
"I'll go with
you."
"As expected of
our Reed. We should have fun together."
She cooed at him like a
grandmother adoring a well-behaved child, making him want to punch her.
But he knew that she
acted this way because she liked him.
So he had to be
careful.
If he didn't handle her
cautiously, the thorns of a rose would dig into his flesh.
***
The capital of the
Hupper Kingdom, Cohen.
It was a small kingdom
founded by Morgan Hupper after he declared independence from the empire, and the
current political situation had stabilized significantly.
Well-paved roads and
people walking on them.
Reed and Freesia were
walking among them.
A girl dressed in a
luxurious outfit, holding a black parasol, and a gray-haired man in a formal
suit walking beside her.
At a glance, they
looked like a naive young lady and her butler.
Therefore, no one could
imagine that the masters of the Silence Tower and the Black Sky Tower were
walking side by side.
However, due to their
outfits, they couldn't avoid the occasional curious glances from passersby.
"Every time I see
the royal road, old memories come flooding back," Freesia began.
"Is that so?"
"Yes, I used to be
a noble lady myself. Or was I a doll back then?"
Freesia smiled slyly.
The Vulcan family was
an unknown noble family.
In fact, there was a
record that the family had existed a long time ago.
However, it was unclear
whether the lineage was still being passed down.
Freesia never revealed
it herself.
She just acted like a
spoiled brat and continued like a skunk in the Cloud Continent.
As Reed looked down at
her, Freesia became aware of his gaze and met his eyes.
Her red eyes.
Similar to Rosaria's,
but Freesia's were closer to a darker red.
"Are you curious
about my past?"
"Uncovering what
others don't know. Isn't that the duty of a magician and scholar?"
"If you want to
see a woman's past, you must be able to take responsibility for it. Can you
take responsibility for my past?"
Taking responsibility
for the past.
That was a roundabout
way of talking about marriage.
So Reed shook his head.
"I'm sorry."
"I really want to
break you."
Freesia discreetly
approached and took Reed's hand.
"Reed, I have a
question."
"What is it?"
"How did you find
out about my alias?"
A subtle chill could be
felt in Freesia's words.
"It's tied to my
past, and a man like you couldn't possibly know about it. So I can only think
that you must have learned it through someone else."
"What do you plan
to do once you find that person?"
"What do you
think? If they won't let go of a lady's dirty past, I'll have to bury them
whole."
A malicious woman.
Reed quietly withdrew
his hand.
"That person is
already dead."
"How?"
"They seem to have
been killed as a guest. They were drinking at a tavern and got caught up in a
brawl."
"Hmm... Well,
there's nothing we can do about it."
What can be done about
someone being dead?
Freesia didn't try to
inquire any further.
Taking a step forward,
Freesia said, "We've had enough of a walk, shall we now get down to
business? Follow me."
Freesia left the main
road and entered a back alley.
Buildings were tightly
packed, and not a single ray of light could penetrate the area.
As soon as they
entered, their eyes involuntarily squinted.
The smell of rotting
garbage stung their noses.
Reed found it hard to
bear the foul odor, but Freesia walked on unfazed.
After walking for a
while, Freesia spun around on her right foot and faced Reed.
"Stay still. You
might get hurt if you move."
As Freesia flicked her
finger, her shadow rose from the ground and reached out to Reed.
He hesitated for a
moment at the sight of her using magic, but realizing it wasn't an attack on
him, he stood still.
Soon, the shadow
wrapped around Reed and began to wriggle.
His red uniform on a
black background turned all black, and his gray hair was dyed black.
Looking down at his
chest pocket, there was a single black rose pinned there.
Reed wasn't the only
one who changed.
Freesia's appearance
had also changed slightly.
Her Gothic outfit was
now a silk dress adorned with black roses, and a small silk hat was placed on
her head.
'Strange.'
Freesia's presence
wasn't felt at all.
If he hadn't known it
was Freesia, he wouldn't have recognized her at all.
Freesia looked Reed up
and down with a satisfied expression and patted his arm.
"Hmm, it turned
out quite well. It suits you. How about giving up your position as the Tower
Master of the Silence Tower and becoming a butler for our Black Sky
Tower?"
"Why did you use
disguise magic on me as well?"
"I thought you
didn't want to get involved in this Brosa’s business, Was I wrong?"
"..."
"Just keep your
mouth shut. That way, you won't get entangled in this matter."
It was her own way of being considerate.
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